Lady Purple

Wisteria flowers are symbolic blooms in Nara. Usually, in early May no matter where you go in Nara Park,  you are welcomed by the purple clusters shining in a balmy sunlight.

 

This year seemed not to be a good year for wisterias.  Nara Park was supposed to become the paradise of wisterias.  But, the clusters were shorter and the flowers were less than usual. What happened to them?  Last year they did splendid jobs and pleased the eye of people.  I guess the wisterias were too tired to bloom in full power and Spring Goddess decided to give them a rest.

Why are wisterias here and there in the park?
In the 8th century when Nara became the new capital of Japan, the Fujiwaras were the most powerful and rich clan. They expanded their political power through marriage with the Imperial family. The same old story here! Fujiwara means "Wisteria Field". Wisterias were the Fujiwaras' favorite flowers.

 Kasuga Grand Shrine

Kasuga Grand Shrine was founded by the Fujiwaras as their family shrine as well as the guardian deity for the new capital in the 8the century. The shrine is famous for a seven hundred year old wisteria which is called "Sand-Sweeping Wisteria (砂摺りの藤)"　as the  clusters grow long and look as touching the ground almost. The longest cluster was measured 1.65 meters in length last year. 

The Fujiwaras loved wisterias, so the hanging wisterias became  the crest of the Fujiwaras as well as Kasuga Grand Shrine.　

This is one of two guardian lions in front of the second Torii gate.

The crest of the Fujiwaras  is carved on the  pedestal.

The shrine maidens wear a crown of wisteria flowers.

This is "Rice Planting Ceremony" held every year in March in the shrine.

I have ambivalent feelings toward wisterias. The hanging flowers are graceful. The colors of wisterias, various shades of purple, are so noble. But under the flowers there are vines coiling and twining other trees. And they are climbing up and blooming on the top.

This is my blog about wild wisterias.

"Paradise of Wisteria"

I love wild wisterias more than cultivated ones, because I can see the nature of the flowers in the wild wistreerias better. This year, the wild wisteria bore less and less flowers. So, no photos of them.

 For me snake-like vines of wisterias look like the legacy
 of the power struggles fought in the Imperial court in the 8th century.

Purple has been a noble and mysterious color since ancient times. 

紫草（むらさき）の　にほへる妹を　憎くあらば　人妻ゆゑに　われ恋ひめやも
大海人皇子
Oh, beautiful  you,  like a purple grass!
How I can give up my love towards you
even though  you are other man's wife!
(mentioned by Prince Oama in the 7th century)

What a passionate love letter it is! Though there is another interpretation, I'd like to take this poem as the outpouring of his emotion. According to one theory, in those days purple was so loved that the color was synonymous with purple.  The flowers of purple grasses were mentioned a several times in  an ancient anthology of poems which has been loved for over 1200 years by people in Japan. It is 万葉集 - Anthology of Ten Thousand Leaves.

The flowers of purple grasses are lily white. The dried  roots of the grasses were used to dye clothes in deep purple and the grass symbolized a lover. I wonder what color  it is. They say natural purple is much deeper than synthetic purple.

Flikering like puple stained glasses. 

In "The Tale of Genji" (源氏物語) written by Murasaki Shikibu around the beginning of the 11th century, two ladies take important roles in the story. One is 藤壷, Lady Fuji-tsubo and another one  is his wife, 紫の上, Murasaki-no-ue. Fuji means wisteria flowers and Murasaki is purple in English. Two women are depicted as his ideal female figures. Shining Genji devotes his eternal love to them. The name of the author also has the color  purple.

"The Potted Wisteria Exhibition"held in May in Nara.

Deity of Ancient Refrigerator

Wisteria flowers started to bloom in Nara.

We can get ice any time if we only open a refrigerator or go to a supermarket.  Ice is not special nor expensive. But in the 8th century, only noble people could enjoy eating ice during summer.

This is a very familiar sign for us representing " shaved ice with syrup".

When it gets hot, you can see this sign here and there.

A feature of summer! (氷 is a Chinese character which means ice.)

(image taken from google)

In the ancient times, ice or snow were preserved in 氷室 Himuro within winter. They were dug out and immediately carried to the Imperial Palace or residences of the noble people in summer . 

 Himuro  means "Ice Chamber" and would serve as an ancient refrigerator. It is said the ice chambers were  3 merer-deep roofed pits where ice was stored, being wrapped and covered with straws. There were the ice chambers around present Nara Park and surrounding  areas.

Every year on May 1st,  "Offering Ice Ceremony" is held in Himuro Shinto Shrine(氷室神社) in Nara. The shrine is dedicated to the deity of ice.  Many representatives engaged in the related business of ice,  such as  ice or refrigerator  making companies,  attend at the ceremony. They pray to the deity for prosperous business and show deep gratitude.

A pair of ice statues in the shape of a dragon are offered to the deity,

because 2012 is the year of the Dragon.

But until last year, a pair of ice pillars with carps and sea breams had been offered. 

 Don't you think fish look like swimming in water? To make these ice cubes needs a lot of
craftsmanship.  I'm afraid that this year there might be not an experienced craftsman.

I suppose this type of skill is disappearing slowly. 

After the the ceremony, the ancient court dances and music based on Asian culture are offered to the deity. In olden days a lot of the newest information, objects, techniques, arts,  cultures, medicines, Buddhism and so on were brought to Japan through Silk Road. Nara is said to have been the terminal of Silk Road.

 At night, the approach to the main hall is lit with the ice candles.

How did the noble people enjoy ice in the 8th century? This thought fires my imagination. Did the emperors drink Sake on the rocks or taste shaved ice ?

In  枕草子 or "The Pillow Book" written by Seisho-nagon in the 11th century, the forerunner of  present shaved ice was introduced.

あてなるもの、　削り氷にあまづら入れて新しき鋺に入れたる。

What is elegant. Shaved ice in a new metal bowl with the sap from sweet vines.

Himuro Shrine is also famous for the weeping cherry trees which are the first Sakura
to bloom early April in Nara.

In a water basin of the precincts of Himuro Shrine, the last petals of Sakura are floating.

Wisteria flowers are smelling gracefully in Nara Park.

Some of them are ready to bloom .

For your reference

I decided to add this because my explanation about the pair of the ice pillars is not enough and might cause some misunderstandings judging from the comments to this blog.  I am very sorry. Only dead fish are used. It requires a lot of craftsmanship to give the fish lifelike movements in ice.  But how? I guess it must be the craftsman secret.  

Below photos were taken just before the biggest festival in Nara （おん祭り） held by Kasuga Grand Shrine. The Shinto priests are serving dinner to the deity, Young Prince who is the main character in the festival.

He eats sea bream.

He eats fruits and rice cakes.

Shinto( indigenous faith in Japan)  deities are much like the gods of Greece and Rome. In many ways they act and feel as human beings do.   We love  delicious sliced raw fish,  roasted fish and more. Fish are usually used as offerings to Shinto deities.  If you have any comments or questions, I am glad to answer. 

Mysterious Field and Sakura

From the morning mist, the deer appear one by one. Through  the fine veils of the dim sun light,  everything looks soft. Here, the Sakura blossoms (cherry blossoms) are passing the last stage.  If one more wind blows, all petals will fall immediately.   I love Sakura in all phases, but now how delicate and subtle grace they show. 

This spacious grass field , which is part of Kasuga Grand Shrine precincts, is called "Tobihino, 飛火野- Flying Fire Field". The name is derived from a myth .

When Nara became the Capital of Japan in 710, the new Capital needed a strong protection. So, the most powerful god was invited to protect Nara. He came from Kashima Shrine in Ibaraki near Tokyo, travelling on the back of a white deer.  The god arrived in Nara at night. To welcome him and light the way, one deity belched fires. But the fires continued to roll over the field  and never went out. The emperor ordered  field guards to take care of the fires. Another theory says that smoke signals were made here in the 8th century. 

That's why the field is called "Flying Fire Field".

The field is also the place where noble people used to take a walk and enjoy picking up spring grasses in Nara Period (710 - 784). Did they see the scene which I see now? Did they see deer appearing like this?

 I feel time has  flown slowly here since ancient times.

They are dressed in the 8th century costumes of noble people.

 (My related blog  Once Upon a Time, My Town Nara)

Tobihino field just before sunset

In May, here becomes the paradise of wild wisteria flowers.

 This tree is a guardian of Tobihino field. Its trunk is completely hollow, but the tree is  growing and thriving.  

 (My related blog, Amazing Power of Trees)

 There is another mysterious story about Tobihino field in Noh play. 

A travelling priest finds a pond and gets interested in it. He asks an elderly field guard  the name of the pond. The guard answers it is called "野守の鏡、the mirror of a field guard". Because field guards use the pond as a mirror. He continues and says  that  this pond has a special power. When the emperor lost his hawk during hunting, this pond told the location of the hawk in its reflections.  At night the guard transforms himself into a fierce deity and appears with a magical mirror in front of the priest. The deity says that his mirror is the real mirror of a field guard. He shows the priest everything from the hell to the heaven in the reflections of the mirror. When the deity stamps his feet,  the ground is split in two. Inside the ground, the path to the hell appears. The deity climbs down the path and disappears. This story is set in Tobihino field.

Be careful if you find a strange path in Tobihino field. The path might lead you to the hell.

The fierce deity with a magical mirro in Noh play..

If there is a so-called power spot in Kasuga Grand Shrine, I guess it must be somewhere in Tobihino field. So whenever  I come here, I keep a compass. Because  I believe the compass will tell me any change of the magnetic field and pinpoint the power spot. Unfortunately,  my compass has never told me any clue so far.

Sakura, Sakura

Asahi newspaper said  in VOX POPULI two years ago, 

 "In romantic relations, it is said that when your are kept waiting by another person, you develop stronger feelings for that  person. Apparently, this year's spring goddess is playing with our motions." 

How true it is!! This spring also, it seems that Spring Goddess kept us waiting and playing  hide-and-seek with us. At last, Sakura or cherry blossoms started to bloom. One day pastel pink mists and clouds appeared here and there like mirage, and gave us a  supreme surprise. But,  but already they started  to flutter. 

Sakura blossoms in the early stage look like shy girls at early adolescence.

Sakura have been long loved by people in Japan. Sakura bloom and fall. And we love from the beginning (even before the beginning)  to the end, every phase of Sakura blossoms. We see beauty in those blooming Sakura, and admire scattering Sakura as 花吹雪‐flower blizzard. Fallen petals on the water are appreciated as 花筏‐flower raft.Transience of nature,  transience of our life.
 I visited Sakura in Nara one rainy day. Maybe, you do not like to go out in a rainy day, especially when you want to take photos. Lights are so weak that scenery seems dim and hazy. But, how serene  the air is  and how comfortably the  sounds are absorbed by rain drops!

Great Buddha Hall of Todai-ji Temple. The Hall is the largest wooden structure in the world.

The footsteps and conversation sound quietly.

 I feel everything so peaceful.  My lens has a rain drop in the centre.

Sakura blossoms near me look more vivid in a rainy day, but a scenery

far away looks hazy. Many petals are fluttering with rain drops.

People are listening to a tour guide at the approach to Great Buddha Hall. 

 Sakura trees are welcoming and listening together with them.

Weeping cherry tree.

In front of Great Buddha Hall there is a huge space surrounded with  many different types of Sakura.

They are in  bloom.

Under Great South Gate, the main entrance gate to Todai-ji Temple,  

the deer take shelter sometimes and go out to welcome the visitors..

The mist is rising and laying among mountains. There are small dots on the grass field.
They are birds. In a spring rain, both deer and birds are resting together.
In Nara Park, Sakura are here and there.

Here is Kasuga Grand Shrine. Kasuga means Spring Day. The shrine has been a strong guardian deity of Nara since it became the capital of Japan in 710.

weeping cherry tree

Part of the corridors of the shrine.

In Kasuga Grand Shrine, there are about 3000 lanterns;  two thousands stone lanterns

and 1000 metal lanterns. But, nobody knows exactly  how many lanterns there are.

So, it is believed that if you can count the exact number of the lanterns at night,

you are promised to be very rich.

One rain and one wind accelerate Sakura falling.

The deer are eating Sakura.

My blogs about Sakura

Sakura・・・

Farewell Sakura

Nothing lasts forerever, Sakura

We know little about Sakura